The Keating-Owen Act in 1916 was based on a previous proposal by Albert Beveridge's proposal 10 years earlier and dealt with the issue of child labor. At this time, over 2 million children were working in places like mines and factories. This bill banned products being sold by companies who employed children that were less than 14 years old, mines with children under 16, or places that made children work for more than 8 hours during the day or at all at night. It also tried to regulate interstate commerce, but, although it was passed by President Woodrow Wilson, was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the case of Hammer v. Dagenhart. However, it did lead to further acts and laws to regulate and ban certain forms of child labor. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court kept ruling acts unconstitutional and there was little hope for successful legislation. Not until 1938 would there be an action of government that actually helped the children.
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